The main reason why this won't work is that majority of public simply prefers free ad-infested services over paid ad-free ones. Case in point - YouTube Red and it's abysmal adoption rate.
One might reasonable argue that YT Red just removes ads, but doesn't do anything for privacy / data collection. But I have two questions for them: 1. what makes you think people would gladly pay for privacy (any glaring example)? , 2. even if Google were to offer such an option, would you trust it?
> The main reason why this won't work is that majority of public simply prefers free ad-infested services over paid ad-free ones.
Counterpoint: Apple, one of the most profitable companies.
People have been giving their money to Apple before they even flaunted a strong pro-privacy stance, and I have yet to see an ad from Apple that I did not opt in for (although their recent Apple Pay emails have been slightly annoying, given that I'm in a country where I cannot use Apple Pay but there's no option to opt-out from only Apple Pay related emails while still receiving offers for other Apple services.)
Rich people with lots of disposable income would, not surprisingly, prefer quality for a higher price. But that is not the business model of Google, nor is it applicable for everyone.
I don’t buy Apple products because of privacy. I buy Apple products because the alternative in the consumer market -Windows and Android feel like a flea market where Im constantly being advertise to. I like Apple’s business model. I give them money and they give me stuff. Too many other companies sell hardware subsidized by ad sales. For instance, I would gladly pay more for my Roku devices to avoid advertising on the home screen and paid for placement on the remote. I have three Roku TVs but I still use my attached AppleTV devices more often than the Roku apps for just that reason.
One might reasonable argue that YT Red just removes ads, but doesn't do anything for privacy / data collection. But I have two questions for them: 1. what makes you think people would gladly pay for privacy (any glaring example)? , 2. even if Google were to offer such an option, would you trust it?